Jax2025 thinks big about Jacksonville's future, but mayor must deal with here, now

David Bauerlein

Wednesday

Feb 27, 2013 at 5:32 PM

As honorary chairman of the Jax2025 study, Mayor Alvin Brown straddles two versions of Jacksonville.

There's the idealistic city of the future. At Jax2025 sessions organized by the nonprofit Jacksonville Community Council Inc., hundreds of residents have engaged in "think big" sessions about what Jacksonville should become over the next 12 years.

And then there's the Jacksonville of 2013 - the city where painful rounds of budget cuts have resulted in fewer library hours, longer police response times for car crashes, less mowing of city roadsides, and the most tight-fisted public works program in years.

Since becoming mayor in 2011, Brown has embodied that conflict between civic aspirations and budget limitations.

His catchphrase is "taking Jacksonville to the next level" - a theme that fits right in with Jax2025. But he also has established a record as a fiscal conservative who has cut services to balance the budget without increasing the property tax rate. He says he won't add debt to the city's books. He is against extending the 6-cent local gas that will expire in 2016.

"It's not just what city government can do," he said, pointing to his efforts to forge partnerships with businesses, civic organizations and religious groups. "It shows we all have a role in working together to improve the quality of life in this city. By working together, we can get things done, and not just rely on government to be the answer to everything."

'Put some money into it'Jacksonville historian Jim Crooks, who has written books about the city's growth in the past century, said he's skeptical Jacksonville can achieve big changes without being at least open to increasing taxes.

"Nothing comes of it unless you put some money in it," he said. "It comes back to dollars and cents."

He said Jacksonville went through a similar exercise to Jax2025 in the 1990s with a program called Jacksonville Insight that paved the way for River City Renaissance under Mayor Ed Austin. That was followed by Mayor John Delaney's Better Jacksonville Plan in 2000.

"Somehow, you've got to have some capital investment," Crooks said.

Grappling with that strategy, including the role of city government, will be the next step in the Jax2025 study. On March 19, volunteer participants will decide how to measure change on a year-by-year basis and determine "what success will look like," said JCCI Chief Executive Officer Ben Warner.

"Right now, the vision statements are hopes and dreams and positive thinking," he said. "But that in itself isn't enough to make things happen."

He said whether tax increases should be part of the mix will be up for debate.

"There are folks who are fairly strong about no new taxes, and there are folks who have been fairly loud about saying we have to invest in our community and that our government is government on the cheap," he said. "That's part of the conversation that needs to happen."

Arlington resident Beth Touchton said she would be willing to support higher taxes to pay for high-quality city services. She said she's frustrated when people say "no new taxes" but also want "something for nothing" by calling for more police and better parks, and don't want to shorten library hours.

"Am I willing to pay for the things I want and our city needs to keep it vibrant and appealing? You bet," she said.

But East Arlington resident Dan Carr said higher taxes would just be misused.

"This city is in dire straits at this point, and the last thing we need is another boondoggle with city funds looking for a place to waste," he said.

'We can set the tone'Council President Bill Bishop, who has attended the Jax2025 sessions, said he doesn't favor higher taxes, and he doubts there is community support for it. He said Jax2025 can still make a difference by directing city spending in ways that maximize the impact, convincing private businesses and nonprofits to follow suit.

"I see it as an attitudinal thing - we get in a rut and think the city has no money and therefore we can't do anything," he said. "We may not be able to build the next big capital project, but we spend a lot of money each year doing stuff. We can set the tone that something is important and we're going to do it to the best of our ability, and that gets people excited."

But the city's current budget situation makes even relatively small investments difficult for City Hall.

Brown is asking City Council to take about $11 million in savings from refinancing debt and put it into economic development programs, mainly for downtown redevelopment. The City Council Auditor's Office has recommended the city keep money in reserve for possible budget shortfalls.

"We have some core city functions that need to be maintained, and maybe that money is better spent on that," he said.

For next year's budget, the city also faces the prospect of continued shrinkage of the property tax base. Some commercial property has gained value, such as apartments and hotels, but residential property values appear to still be on a decline.

"I'm anticipating a slight reduction [overall], but not comparable to recent years," said Keith Hicks, chief appraiser for the Duval County Property Appraiser's Office.

Brown said he won't support a higher millage rate for property taxes. He said the "private sector is the engine of our community" and the city needs to foster the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs. As the economy recovers, businesses' growth will generate more tax revenue, and also support non-profit initiatives supporting the goals of Jax2025, he said.

"I want the world to know this is one of the greatest cities on planet Earth," he said. "Our goal is to make it the best."

david.bauerlein@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4581

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